Too many butter knives
3Why do flatware sets come with so many butter knives? People don't use butter knives like they do forks and spoons, do they? Like, people grab forks and spoons all the time, but only need a butter knife for very specific tasks. I'm sure most households are like mine, where you start running low on forks and spoons, but have plenty of butter knives remaining. Then, you buy another flatware set to replenish your forks and spoons and just end up with even MORE butter knives you don't need. This is so stupid.
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At my in-laws for family meals, there are always enough forks and spoons - but not enough butter knives.
A proper place setting has a knife, fork and spoon...why not set your table correctly?
@tightwad Do you put out full place settings for dinner every night?
@Thumperchick I don't every night, but I do quite often… regardless, this is the answer to the question, eh? They're not sold by some statistical analysis of usage, they're sold by service for a certain number of people.
That said, I never have enough butter knives… love me some spreads, I guess!
@Thumperchick Not always a spoon, but I always want a knife unless we are eating just soup or something weird.
@tightwad I have teenage boys in my house, and trust me, there's a whole lot more eating going on than just regular meals with place settings.
Find someone who doesn't eat red meat and trade all of your butter knives for their steak knives.
@rockblossom why would that person buy steak knives?
@tightwad Because steak knives came with their (my) silverware set, and 6 more with the knife block.
Move them into your toolbox. They make good flat-head screwdrivers.
Sure some aren't fish knives?
Do you not butter your toast? How do you spread peanut butter and or jelly on a slice of bread? Do you use your index finger to extract mayonnaise out of the jar on into your phace?
@Kevin the convex side of a spoon is ideal for spreading butter, preserves, etc.
Thank you for making the discussions about dresses and llamas seem actually meaningful. ;-)
@joelmw But llamas in dresses are always meaningful.
I'm totally with you @phatmass. We always run out of spoons and forks and are left with a heaping pile of butter knives. Are you people really buttering something every single dinner? We even use steak knives way more often.
Although the coworkers have run out of things to say about their friends' easy birth experiences, I'm still bored and pedantic, and I've been confused by this whole thread, so...
We all know that this is a butter knife, right?
(From an actual Reddit thread about this.)
I don't think I've ever gotten a flatware set with a butter knife. It's definitely an upgrade. The knife that's in a fork-spoon-knife trio is a table knife. It's just for anything that doesn't require a steak knife. If it really is Butter Knife Overpopulation that's a concern, well, I don't live in the world I thought I lived in, and I apologize for being That Guy. Again.
Actually, I guess I'm That Guy either way. It's been a long day, even if the birth experiences were easy.
@editorkid Totally agree (well, I mean I have to because it's correct) but I think the true butter knife has largely gone by the wayside and referring to a table knife as a butter knife is far more common than actually having a butter knife. Which I'm kind of okay with since I find true butter knives rather awkward and uncomfortable, and table knives far better suited to the task of buttering (or avocadoing, mmm).
@brhfl Yeah, and ironically, I'm That Guy who always pisses off other editors because I'm all "the language is changing! Deal with it!" Plus it sounds like we both think the traditional butter knife was mostly created just to sell the Miss Manners crowd more silverware.
Based on this, I have only one butter knife but a bunch of table knives which is STILL never enough. Many of mine became "lost" and I had to buy more....by picking out some undamaged ones at the Goodwill. Of course, maybe at your house someone isn't eating peanut butter on crackers 147x a day...but they are at mine. They leave the knife on the sink when they are done and it drives me flippin' crazy.
Too many cooks, not enough chef knives.
Being a committed carnivore, I don't mean this is advocacy, I just thought @phatmass might appreciate it:
Butter knives (or table knives, whatever) are often used when you don't need a fork or spoon -- like when you make a sandwich or have some toast. Also they aren't just for spreading stuff, you can also cut stuff with them, like chicken and bread.
Personally though, I never seem to have enough of these:
Would rather have a spork! There's no cutting edge there.
Let's see. There are table knives (I think we've established that's the subject of this mis-labeled thread). Then, if you get fancier in your silverware set, you get salad forks and knives (slightly smaller than the table fork and knife). If you get even fancier, you get butter knives for each place setting (really small knives).
My parents had the full set. We only brought them out for Thanksgiving.
@SIMBM I bet you also call a spatula a turner. Don't judge me for being common.
@phatmass Cookie turner, yeah. But like I said, we only saw the service at Thanksgiving. The usual service? Some common flatware, not even silver plate. Right now I have a table spoon, a tea spoon, a table fork, a salad fork, and a table knife in my dish drainer, and I use only that as needed. Don't think I've set my table in decades.
I eat my peas with honey,
I've done it all my life.
They may taste kind of funny,
but it keeps them on my knife.